Fluid-controlled clutch mechanism



(No M0de 1.)

- -D. H. CHURCH.

FLUID CONTROLLED CLUTCH MECHANISM.

No. 555,036. Patent-ed Feb. '18, 1896.

' aspecification,"

v anism operated thro lo-under pressure, and t object is toprovide UNITED STATES PATENT Crit cs.-

' DUANE I-L'QHU C'H, OF NEWTON, M-AssAonUsE'rTs.

FLUID-"CONTROLLEDCLUTCH MECHANISM.

sP cIrIcA'rIoiv forming art of etters Patent No. 555,ose, dated February 18,,- 1896. Application alga July 20, 1896. Serial No. 556,560. on; model.)

To all whom it may concern: f lSe it known that I, DUANE H.- CHURCH, Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State. of Massachusetts, have invented-certain new and'useful Improvements in Fluid-.Oontroll'ed Clutch Mechanism, of 'which'thefollowing is My present inventioirrelates to clutch mechh the agency of fluid a practical way of employing fluid to ship a counter-shaft from one speed to another or fromone direction of rotation to another.

In-carrying out my invention I employ in connection with a driving-and a driven 'machine element, as a pulley-and shaft, aclutch piece rotatively engaged with one element and movable into andlout of rotative engagement with the other element a barrier in juxtarelation .to said'clutch-piece and immovable toward or from the same, and suit-able means-for admitting fluid under pressure vbetween the barrier and th'e-clutch-piece, wherepart of this specification illustrates an emare mounted loosely on theshaft, and theyby such fluid may exert itself to move the latter into a position of rotative engagement with both driving and driven elements.

The drawing which-accompanies .and'forms bodiment of the invention, said drawing showing a longitudinal sectioned a counter-shaft,

pulleys, and clutch'devices.

In the drawing the letter a designates a counter-shaftwhich is to be variously driven from a niainshaft through the clutch devices presently to be described, and which is journaled in bearings t. Two pulleys b and b are driven from the main shaft through suitable connections, (not'showm) and one maybe driven at one speed and the other at another speed, or one may bedriven in one directionand the oth'er'dn the opposite direction, and of coursethese conditions may bothexist. The web of each pulley is coyered o'n' .ea ch'side with frictional material, preferably 1 in the form of leather. washers d, and-theshaft carries aflixed to it on the outer side of each pulley a'collar c, which constitutes a backing for' the pulley to come against and form frictional rotative engagement with when the 1 clutch is operated to produce rotative engagement between that pulley and the shaft.

'securedto the shaft by a set-screw f.

Between the two pulleys there is a longitudinally-movable clutch-piece in th'e form of a cylinder composed of heads 6 and an annular flange e on one head and fastened by screws to the other. As already intimated, this cylinder is movable longitudinally of the shaft, and such longitudinal movement throws either one h'eador the other into engagement with one pulley or the other, or, of course, the

;cylinder may occupy an intermediate position where it engages neither pulley. There is inclosed within-the said cylinder a disk f,

which 1 term a barrier because it acts as .such for fluid entering the cylinder to shift the'same. The said disk is in the form of a piston closely fitting the cylinder-wall e and The disk or piston is moreover rotatively engaged with the cylinder by means of a pin 1), which passes through the web of the piston and enters holes p in the cylinder-heads, said holes being of sufiicient depth to allow for the 1on gitudinal movement of the cylinder. Thus it 7 5' will be seen that the cylinder remains always rotatively engaged with the piston, and'hen ce with the shaft, (said piston being fast on the shaft), and yet the longitudinal movement in said cylinder requisite to clutch and unclutch 8c is provided for. -.Now) it will beapparent that fluid entering under, pressure into the cylinder'onene side of thegpist-on will, by acting againstthe cylinder-head on that side of the p'iston, 1nove the. cylinder and bring it to bear 8 5 against the-pulley on that same side of the piston.

' Provision is made for aldmission of fluid as follows: The shaft a is made hollow from the bearings a nearly to the center, a solid part -nular chambers g in the bearings, said annular chalnberscommunicating-With fiuid- 5 supply pipes g At their inner ends the said passages g communicate through ports g in theslraft with passages g Whichextend radially throughthe hub'of the piston and open intothe'cylinder on opposite sides of the piston.

position of parts shown iii file drawings fluid has'been admittedto the cylinder on the left The operation will now beobvious. In the hand side of the piston, and, the piston acting as a barrier, said fluid has exerted its ressure against the cylinder-head and pro ueed a .that the agency employed to operate itnamely lluid under pressure-has no fixed limit of action, and hence the clutch is not impaired by the wearing away of the frietional surliiees, provided sullieient longitudinal movement in the clutch-cylinder is provided tor. 'lh us frequentadjustment to compensatetor wear, as in other forms of clutches, is avoided.

I do not conline myself to the particular form of means here shown for embodying my invention, for it may be carried out in other. ways.

It will be observed that by having a single cylinder carrying both el atoll-heads e a charge of fluid entl-zriug on one side of the piston not only forces one clutch-head against one pulley but simultaneously eifeets a positive withdrawal of the other eluteh-head from the other pulley.

\VhatI claim as my invention is as follows:

Theeombination with a shaft, a pair of pulleys thereon, and means for resisting movement of said pulleys longitudinally of the shaft; of a single elosed cylinder embracing the shaft between the pulleys, a piston in the cylinder, and channels for admission of fluid under pressure into the cylinder on either side of said piston, one of said lastmcntioned parts beingheld from longitudinal movement and the other constituting a onepiece double-faced clutch member to engage the pulleys under longitudinal movement, the admission of fluid on one or the other side of the piston effecting a clutching of one pulley and at the same timea positive unclutehing of: the other pulley.

In testimony whereof I- have signed my name to this speeification,in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 5th day of July, A. 1.895.

IHTANE ll. (llllltClll Witnesses:

A. l). 'llamusoa, W. l. ABELL. 

